Member Comments for the Article:

Exercising with Lower Back Pain

Increase Strength & Flexibility to Decrease Pain

141 Comments

My aerobic instructor had the class do wall slides and I injured a disc in my back and was in debilitating pain for seven months. This is really an advanced move and shouldn't be done if you suspect you might have any disc problems.
- 2/11/2010 11:18:19 AM

I started working on my lower back 4 weeks ago. Although my back is still stiff most of the time, it is, at least, not sore. I have experienced increased mobility and have had pain free days. These exercises will help add to what I am already doing so I can change up and not have to do the same exercises every workout.
- 2/11/2010 8:49:21 AM

This is a really good article. My back has been hurting quite a bit lately and now I understand more why that may be. I am definitely going to try the exercises suggested. Thank you for this article.
- 2/10/2010 1:33:33 PM

I feel off a 40ft cliff when I was 19 and fractured my 5th lumbar as a result. I have back pain from time to time because of it and can't wait to start working these into my daily routine! Thanks for the help!
- 2/10/2010 1:22:29 PM

I have had 3 spinal surgeries and thought I would be disabled for the rest of my life. I was suicidal at one point. These types of exercises helped me tremendously. Now I am jogging, hiking, biking and leading a normal life. What this article didn't mention is reading scriptures and trusting Christ as your healer. Which is the real cause of my success.
- 2/10/2010 12:03:35 PM

Thank you for a wonderful article and exercise ideas. I have suffered lower back pain for many years and worried about too much stress on my back. I now believe it is sure to my weak stomach. Can't wait to get home and try the exercises.
- 2/10/2010 11:06:34 AM

the other thing that i found helped immensely is water aerobics... my core strength is up significantly and after a couple months of going 2x a week, I have much less back pain and can even go out for daily walks now!
- 2/10/2010 11:05:05 AM

Great article. Thank you. I have lower back pain for two reasons, Ankylosing Spondylitis and a compressed disc. I have been looking for some good exercises that I might be able to tolerate. How often should these be done? I have not exercised in a long time due to the pain and stiffness I have. My Rheumatologist said I could begin doing some simple exercises, but to be careful. I'll start out slow, and try these. Thank you, again.
- 2/10/2010 9:58:27 AM

Good article with LOTS of exercise options. I have had chronic low back pain since my 20s. Several years ago diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Pain has improved signigicantly over the years. Exercise and being careful when lifting thing makes a huge difference! If I don't move, I hurt.
- 2/10/2010 8:34:33 AM

Along with a myriad of other health issues, I have had chronic back pain for years. This was a constructive article as to some of the exercises available.

With the help of my Physical Therapist I have been given the tools to make myself better. It has been my choice to exercise or not. Speaking from my own experience, not exercising is a more painful option.

When I started out exercising slowly I had better success rate then when I was 20 years old and thought I could do anything. Thanks to Sparks, I have gotten my act together and chosen to start exercising again so I may be as active as possible in my young childrens life again.

To everyone who commented who has/had herniated discs or other health issues.

I suffered with herniated discs in my lower back, this was chronic and I almost had to go to surgery to get it fixed. However, by starting off small with gentle light exercise, walking and the type recommended in this article I managed to loose the subsequent weight I had put on as a result of the injury and eventually my back also healed as a result. I was quite young when I suffered with ths (only 21), and shortly after developed gallstones which resulted in surgery to remove my gall bladder, leading to more convalescence.

I can't stress enough how important exercise has been to my mobility and back pain levels. I have a myriad of health problems (take a look at my sparkpage it's all too long for a message board lol). Sometimes these conditions make it more of a challenge for me to exercise but believe me I almost ALWAYS manage to do something. The minute you start letting go of it all (which I know can be tempting when you're in chronic pain) it only makes things a million times worse. Don't use your health problems as an excuse (no offence intended to anyone this comment is directed at my pre sparkpeople self). Use them as a REASON, you have to exercise because your body needs to in order to become well again. I don't mean go out and start running marathons, start off with what you can manage, even if that is just a walk to the end of the road and back and a few simple stretches. That walk to the end of the road and backand wee stretch could make all the difference.
- 2/10/2010 6:17:38 AM

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